The Game
by Gummysaur
Summary: [ONESHOT] The Game is not to be played. The town of Cream understands that. Only humans are authorized to play it. Anyone else who tries must be terminated. She tried; she thought she could fool it, and overcome it. But nobody gets past the Game.


**I'm taking a break from My Name is Molly to write a quick one-shot. Enjoy!**

"Hello, S-puff. Isn't it a beautiful day? Perfect for sunbathing! Is there something you want?"

Sera's mouth did not move, but Lily heard her reply.

"I sure love reading great books. I just finished one about an evil cherry," Lily continued.

Sera didn't react, then her face went red, she looked to the sky, and a white puff of steam left her head. Then, out of nowhere, blue words popped into the sky, reading '_I wish Normals didn't have such dumb dialogue!' _then she reverted quickly to her vacant, smiling expression.

Of course, Lily hardly reacted. She only formed her face into a mask of sympathy when Sera performed her Aggravation stance. She wasn't allowed to react to the words; that's how the game worked. Of course, her restricted dialogue was also part of the game. At first, when Rover had explained their roles, the game, what to do, she had been upset. She wanted to live how she wanted, not act in the template used by 66 others. But want was not the game's concern; need was. She quickly learned not to disobey its rules, and to act as a mind-numbingly sweet (and boring) normal frog.

Sera sat there, doing nothing, just slightly waving her arms. Lily counted to five, then aimlessly moved in a random direction, taking out her bug net. She couldn't catch bugs; that was a right reserved for the humans, same as digging and fishing. And wearing pants. And designing clothes. And shooting down balloons.

Lily turned, and Sera vanished before her eyes. Normal.

She waited for a minute. Then she whipped out a megaphone (which the animals weren't authorized to own, but Lily didn't care,) and yelled, "She's out, everyone!"

The empty expressions, the loose smiles and frowns that the villagers carried instantly sagged.

"If I had to flirt with her one more time, I think I would've exploded," Zell exclaimed.

"Hah! Try talking non-stop about your thighs!" Rudy retorted.

"Did you know she made me start saying 'in my butt' as my new catchphrase?" Stitches demanded. "Now I'm gonna have to keep saying it!"

Erik snickered over that one. Even Wolfgang let out a deep laugh.

"I wish she'd tell us when she goes on a vacation, so we could hold a party or something," Wolfgang sighed. "But we can't. What if she logs on and sees us…"

Everyone went silent. Disobeying the game was something that was not be done, or discussed. Lionel did it, and he was wrenched away by a black-cloaked figure. Now he roamed Main Street, but stayed trapped in his pre-programmed personality forever, even when Sera logged off. Same with Claudia. And the seven other residents that had 'left' Cream.

"So, what should we do now? Sera doesn't normally come on past five," Pashmina said.

"We should go to Club LOL," Erik suggested earnestly.

"No, that's too risky. We need to go somewhere where we can instantly bolt for somewhere normal if she logs on," Molly instantly replied.

"Like the Roost," Lily replied. She was the leader of this town (aside from Sera, of course). Pippy and Erik were the only two originals left, but they weren't exactly qualified as the job.

"Brewster creeps me out!" Pippy yelled. Lily understood. Brewster understood about the game, knew its rules; and yet he stayed in his pre-programmed personality at all times, no matter what.

"I need a coffee. She talked to me until the game made me shut up," Wolfgang sighed.

So it was agreed; they would go to the Roost.

Inside, the whole town ordered coffees. Brewster didn't seem flustered at all; he just calmly served the beverages.

"So," Mint began with a delicate sip, "I've been thinking of revolting. Against the game."

"WHAT?!" Molly gasped. "Y-you can't! That's absurd!" she flinched and looked around madly. "You can't say that word. You can't, or else-"

"Shh, shh," Zell whispered. A hush fell over the crowd.

Someone knocked on the door.

"EEEEEEEEK!" Pippy screamed.

"Calm down!" Lily ordered. "It could just be Tom Nook…or-"

The door flung open. There stood a black figure, appearing to be just a shadow, but the slightest flicker of his sides suggested a cloak. When he moved forward, the cloak moved back ever so lightly, revealing a tiny portion of his skin; neon green numbers-0101, 1010.

Pippy whimpered and fell back.

"It's the Game," Stitches whispered. There was a smash, and a yell. Lily felt hot coffee at her feet. Someone dropped their cup.

The creature moved forward at blinding speed and gripped Mint. Mint screeched.

"Don't hurt her!" Zell lunged at the Game, but it ducked and blocked him, sending him smashing into the wall. Lily turned to Brewster for help, but he was silent, yet observing the scene.

The Game reached inside its cloak, and there was a ripping noise as it tore out a section of its abdomen.

"Oh my god," Erik breathed.

The Game tapped the block of code, and it shuddered, and changed. Without warning, he shoved it down Mint's throat.

And then he was gone.

Mint sat there, unmoving.

"Mint? Mint!" Zell gasped weakly. He stumbled and reached for her.

Mint stared at the ceiling, unresponsive.

Lily began trembling. She had seen this before. This is what had happened when Lionel had said those words; 'revolt against the game'.

The game would not tolerate this.

The game was not afraid to terminate.

And the game had taken her.

Mint twitched and opened her mouth. "The game…is not…a game to play."

Her eyes shut and her body shimmered away.

"She's in boxes," Pashmina said after a long silence. "Sera won't be happy."

"Sera?! _Sera_ is what you're afraid about?!" Zell demanded. "He…that-that THING just killed my girlfriend! I don't care about that human piece of junk!"

"Hey," Lily warned. But her voice was shaky.

"No, no," Stitches whimpered. "I don't wanna live like that. I don't wanna live like this. I wanna go." Panic set in his eyes. "I wanna go! I can't stay! I want to be free!"

"Quiet."

The voice came from the back of the room. All eyes turned to him, his wings polishing a cup.

"Mint played with the Game. Only humans can play with it. We are not authorized to do so."

"Mint didn't mean to-she didn't know-" Zell began desperately.

"She knew full well. Rover explained very clearly." Brewster calmly set down the cup. "Unless a human takes mercy on Mint's soul, she will be sent to the void."

Silence.

"The void is not a place you want to go."

More silence.

"But it is not a place you can escape. Nor is the Game."

I~I~I~I~I~I

Sera logged onto her 3DS after helping her mom clean up the dishes. She walked around and spoke to Lily. Lily smiled and said something. Sera sighed. The game was her escape from reality, but yet it seemed so boring sometimes. She walked into Mint's house.

"Ah!" Sera gasped. Mint was in boxes! She slammed the Crying emotion, which made Mint frown.

"What's wrong?" Sera's sister, Megan, asked.

"Mint's in boxes," Sera cried.

"I can take her," Megan volunteered.

"Okay. But hold her until I cycle sixteen and can get her back."

I~I~I~I~I~I

Lily watched, relieved beyond belief as an unfamiliar human took Mint in. When Megan left, Lily went to Mint.

She knew it was a mistake to talk so freely when Sera was online, but she dared.

"Mint, why did you say that?"

"Say what?" Mint was wearing a smile.

"You can speak. Sera isn't close by."

"Speak?" Mint chuckled. "I'm speaking right now. See you around, Lily!"

"Mint!" Lily cried desperately. "You can't leave!"

But she did.

The house vanished around her.

Lily dropped to her feet, feeling the soil where Mint's house once was. Brewster's words came back to her.

_Mint played with the game. _

Lily stood up. Games were things to be played with. She had every right. So she would.

"I'm not playing by the rules anymore," Lily said out loud. She glared at the sky, and screamed, "_I am revolting against the game!"_

Instantly, it was there.

It reached for her.

"Not so fast," she growled. It hesitated.

"Mint just moved out. According to the RULES, you have to let me stay for another week or so," Lily said with a smug grin. "In that time, I can do whatever I want."

The Game was silent. It shimmered slightly. Then it pulled out a part of its arm and slammed it furiously. Suddenly, the sun set, the moon rose, the sun set, the moon rose. It circled impossibly fast, and Lily found herself gaping at the sky.

Then time screeched to a halt. She felt a little dizzy. Starving and thirsty.

"What-"

She felt that internal clock. She focused on it. What day was it?

_A week into the future,_ the internal clock replied.

Lily felt her heart skip a beat. She had been foolish to challenge it; now she was going to be terminated, like Mint.

"No!" Lily shrieked, running away. It was futile. The Game caught her, and ripped out another piece of itself, shoving it down her throat. She felt everything change.

Trapped inside herself.

Not a single free thought.

Pre-programmed.

_Help, _she thought, unable to form any words of her own. The Game threw her to the ground. Bits and pieces of her began flaking away. Into the void.

_No!_

_I can't die…I can't go to the void…_

She was a fool.

The Game was not to be played.

Lily closed her eyes, accepting certain death.

_I was such an idiot…_

And the void came.

I~I~I~I~I~I

"MEGAN!" Sera yelled.

"What?!"

"You TTed forward a whole week! Now I lost Lily too! Mint was bad enough!"

"I didn't! What the heck!"

"You're such a bad liar. I can't believe you did that!"

Sera and Megan bickered over it, while the Game watched from inside the 3DS.

Watching.

Waiting.

***Sighs* I'm sorry I can't write anything but depressing, creepy stories. I'll make it up by writing some fluff sometime. **


End file.
